9/11 Living Memorial

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9/11 Living Memorial Brochure

How One Family Found New Purpose After Losing a Son on 9/11

April 12, 2014
The following is an excerpt from Marlo Thomas’s new book, It Ain’t Over… Till It’s Over. This chapter is titled, “Her Brother, Peter,” and features Jane Alderman Zeitz of Scarsdale, New York, and her parents, Liz and Steve Alderman, of Pound Ridge, New York.

Late in the summer of 2001, Peter Alderman, age 25, was vacationing with his family. For almost a year, he’d been working at Bloomberg LP, and recently the company had called him to New York. More.

Boston Marathon Runners Meet With City Firefighters at 9/11 Museum

April 11, 2014
A group of Boston Marathon runners met up with city firefighters Friday at the September 11th Museum in a show of solidarity between victims of terrorist attacks. The gathering was held in the honor of two Boston firefighters who died in the line of duty last month.

The runners who participated said they hoped the event would help Boston runners feel like part of a larger support group. More.

Gillibrand: 9/11 Victims, Families Eligible for Tax Break

April 10, 2014
Victims of the September 11th attacks are entitled to a tax break that has gone unrecognized by many. The Victims of Terrorism Tax Relief law states that disability income resulting from a terror attack is not taxable.

The statute also says families of those who died as a result of terror attacks are entitled a refund of at least $10,000. More.

Those Who Lost Loved Ones In 9/11, Sandy Hook Support Fort Hood Victims Families

April 9, 2014
Dozens of families who lost loved ones during Sept. 11, the shooting at Connecticut’s Sandy Hook elementary school and other attacks are trying to support victims of similar tragedies with a new fund, and its first efforts will focus on last week’s shootings at Fort Hood.

The National Center for Victims of Crime told The Associated Press on Tuesday that about 70 families are supporting the fund to provide no-strings-attached cash payments. Victims’ family members said they joined the effort out of frustration with how donations were allocated after their own tragedies. More.

Meet a 9/11 survivor at Brunswick Community College

April 8, 2014
Imagine being trapped on the 105th floor of the World Trade Center when the 9/11 attacks took place. For Joe Dittmar, that was a reality. He’s never been so close to death. But in a powerful speech he’ll describe his escape and journey home,

Thursday, April 10th, Dittmar will speack at the Dinah E. Gore Fitness & Aquatic Center on Brunswick Community College campus. Organizers say his presentation will give you goose bumps. More.

Researcher Shares Details of Study on Health Impacts of Dust from 9/11 Aftermath

April 8, 2014
Last month, NY1 told viewers about another link discovered between the toxic dust many were exposed to in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks and a higher risk of heart disease, and now, the doctor heading up the research is going into more detail. NY1′s Erin Billups filed the following report.

We’ve known for years that the toxic dust inhaled by first responders to the September 11th attacks could lead to lung, heart and kidney problems, but new research out from Mount Sinai Hospital’s World Trade Center Health Program finds that those with the highest exposures are more likely to suffer from sleep apnea. More.

Study examines hardships of post-9/11 military caretakers

April 6, 2014
A new study estimates that more than 1.1 million spouses, parents and friends have been caring for injured and disabled veterans who served in the military since Sept. 11, 2001, providing an estimated $3 billion in care annually but often without any formal support and putting their own health at risk.

The RAND Corporation study, “Hidden Heroes: America’s Military Caregivers,” was commissioned by the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, and based on a representative sampling of more than 1,100 people who care for post-9/11 veterans – about 20 percent of an estimated 5.5 million military caregivers across the U.S. More.

Families of local residents killed on September 11 prepare for opening of museum

April 5, 2014
The last time Patrick Nassaney visited the World Trade Center site in New York was the fall of 2002, the first anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. A year after two planes struck the twin towers, killing nearly 3,000 people, ground zero was still a disaster site and debris field when Nassaney and other 9/11 families gathered to pay tribute to the victims 12 years ago.

“We haven’t returned since for a lot of reasons,” says Nassaney, who lost his son, Shawn M. Nassaney, in the attacks. “When we were there it was a big crater. Now, it’s hallowed grounds.” More.

A heartfelt welcome greets 9/11 first responders

April 5, 2014
Between hugs and handshakes, New York City firefighter Louis Strandberg could hardly get a moment to himself. “It’s hard to put into words.”

Along with his fellow New York City firefighters, Strandberg just completed an east coast cycling journey ending at The National Navy Seal Museum in Ft. Pierce. More.

Terror on Trial: What 9/11 Families Learned in Court

April 3, 2014
During the trial of al Qaeda spokesman Suleiman Abu Ghaith in Manhattan federal court that ended last week, a special group spectators went largely unnoticed. They sat in the second row just twenty feet behind the defendant.

“This man is evil from his head down to his toes,” said Rosemary Cain, one of half a dozen 9/11 family members who attended part of the three-week trial. “Sitting there and seeing that man in person — that was really a jarring experience.” More.

Street dedicated to 9/11 first responder

April 2, 2014
Hanging below the traditional green street sign on Corey Lane in East Meadow is another one, a blue commemorative sign reading “Officer Francis T. Pitone Ln,” in honor of a 20-year New York Police Department officer, a first responder after the Sept. 11 attacks, who died last August.

Frank Pitone, who was 55, spent more than a year at ground zero and at the Fresh Kills Landfill in Staten Island, where debris from the World Trade Center was dumped. He later developed cancer as a result of time spent at the two sites, and his death was declared a 9/11-related illness by government officials. More.

Needham 9/11 memorial committee plans First Responders Party

April 2, 2014
The Needham 9/11 Memorial Committee announces that Needham Bank has become the lead sponsor of the upcoming First Responders Party.

In addition to their donation, Needham Bank has offered a challenge to help the committee meet their goal: For anyone who doesn’t currently have a checking account at Needham Bank and who chooses to open one by June 14, Needham Bank will donate $100 to the 9/11 Memorial for First Responders. Just mention this offer when you open your account. More.

Channel 5 commissions 9/11: The Final Chapter

March 31, 2014
UK broadcaster Channel 5 has commissioned a doc about the world’s largest forensic recovery project at New York’s Ground Zero site, tentatively titled 9/11: The Final Chapter.

The doc, a coproduction between Bearkatt Productions and GroupM Entertainment, follows the ongoing search for human remains at Ground Zero where, almost 13 years since the terrorist attacks, the remains of about one third of the 2,753 people who died are still missing. More.

Snapshot of the Post-9/11 Caregiver

March 31, 2014
The following numbers are drawn from the Rand Military Caregivers Study: There are 1.1 million post-9/11 caregivers, 59 percent are female, 37 percent are under between 18-30, 49 percent are between 31-55. More.

Colleges 9/11 temporary trailers are being removed

March 31, 2014
The “shantytown” temporary trailers which educated displaced B.M.C.C. students after 9/11 and assisted in Lower Manhattan’s recovery after Hurricane Sandy, are finally being removed from West St. after more than a dozen years Downtown.

“It’s finally, finally over,” said a happy and relieved Barry Rosen, spokesperson for the Borough of Manhattan Community College. More.

In Modern Memorials, Reflections of the Holocaust

March 30, 2014
Monuments traditionally require visitors to look up, but the National 9/11 Memorial in New York City brings the eyes down into the earth.

The footprints of the World Trade Center’s twin towers plunge 30 feet into reflecting pools, surrounded by a quiet plaza lined with trees. Beyond the foliage, life in busy downtown Manhattan continues. More.

Should Cesar Chavez have a national day of service like MLK or 9/11?

March 28, 2014
Cesar Chavez was a family man and you could see his peaceful ways even in the smallest of details.

His granddaughter, Cynthia Chavez Ybarra, said every Easter they had a family softball game and he was the pitcher for both sides – just to make sure it did not look like he was taking sides. More.

9/11 museum waiving opening day fee after Conde Nast donation

March 26, 2014
The 9/11 museum is waiving the $24 admission fee on opening day – but reservations are required.

Officials announced Wednesday that Conde Nast, which is moving to the World Trade Center site, has made a donation to allow all visitors to go for free on the first day the museum is open to the public, May 21. More.

9/11 memorial museum to open in New York on May 21

March 25, 2014
A museum commemorating the September 11, 2001 attacks will open on the former site of the World Trade Center in May, it was announced on Monday.

The museum, based where the Twin Towers used to stand near a permanent memorial which opened in 2011, will comprise two exhibitions, the foundation in charge of the project said. The first exhibition — “In Memoriam” — pays tribute to the 2,977 people who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks, in addition to the six victims of a previous bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993. More.

World Trade Center museum to receive 9/11 victims remains

March 23, 2014
The city is quietly preparing to move more than 8,000 unidentified body parts to their new resting place in the 9/11 Museum. “We’re getting ready,” said city Medical Examiner’s Office spokeswoman Julie Bolcer. “We’re planning the move.”

Lee Ielpi, whose firefighter son, Jonathan, died on 9/11, said the remains should be moved in a solemn motorcade “with clergy of all religions to show the world how we treat our dead, murdered on 9/11, with respect and dignity.” More.

March 21, 2014
Researchers at Mount Sinai say they have uncovered new evidence renewing the link between 9/11 toxic dust and a higher risk of heart disease. Scientists analyzed data collected from 800 first responders between January 2011 and September of last year.

They found participants with higher levels of exposure to dust clouds at the World Trade Center site were more likely to suffer from sleep apnea and post traumatic stress disorder. More.

An Unbroken Bond: 9/11 Activist to Speak at Womens Awareness Day

March 20, 2014
On September 11, 2001, 658 men and women at Cantor Fitzgerald found themselves trapped together in One World Trade Center and none would make it out alive. Among them was Edie Lutnick’s brother, Gary, whom she had raised when their parents died at an early age.

Lutnick, co-founder and executive director of the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund and author of An Unbroken Bond, will be the guest speaker at Women’s Awareness Day (WAD) on Thursday, April 10, on the Alex Aidekman Family Jewish Community Campus, 901 Rt. 10, Whippany. More.

Son-in-law says bin Laden asked what would happen after 9/11

March 19, 2014
In surprise testimony in a Manhattan courtroom Wednesday, Osama bin Laden’s son-in-law recounted the night of the Sept. 11 attacks, when the Al Qaeda leader sent a messenger to drive him into a mountainous area for a meeting inside a cave in Afghanistan.

“Did you learn what happened? We are the ones who did it,” the son-in-law, Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, recalled bin Laden telling him. More.

Judge Bars 9/11 Masterminds Testimony From NYC Bin Laden Kin Trial

March 18, 2014
The self-described architect of the Sept. 11 attacks will not be allowed to testify in the terrorism trial of Osama bin Laden’s son-in-law, a federal judge in Manhattan ruled Tuesday.

U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan rejected a request by defense lawyers to call Khalid Sheikh Mohammed as a witness at the trial of Sulaiman Abu Ghaith using live, closed-circuit video from Guantanamo Bay, where Mohammed is imprisoned. More.

Families of 9/11 victims rip Rangel for Harlem blast comparison

March 18, 2014
Families of 9/11 victims ripped Congressman Charles Rangel Tuesday for likening the East Harlem building explosion to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

“Politicians like Rangel should be the last to compare anything to 9/11. They failed to protect us,” said retired city Deputy Fire Chief James Riches, whose firefighter son, James Jr., was killed trying to rescue people from the collapsing World Trade Center towers. More.

Redding Author Speaks About His 9/11 Novel At Hometown Library

March 15, 2014
Redding resident Richard Mulcahy will speak about his book on the 9/11 tragedy, “One From Two,” on Sunday, March 16, at 2 p.m. at the Mark Twain Library.

Mulcahy witnessed the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001 from his office building in Jersey City, N.J. The book covers both his journey of rebuilding a life filled with uncertainty and how the City of New York had to pick up and rebuild itself. More.

New USF counseling program helps veterans, families cope

March 15, 2014
The Army veteran was buried in the rubble of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Then, in 2007, he watched as a member of his squad in Iraq was killed by a roadside bomb.

“I was the first person on scene to find him, and immediately, they have combat stress groups come in and sit down with every member,” he said. “It’s forced upon you to deal with the stress and talk about the stress.” More.

A call to declassify key portion of 9/11 report

March 13, 2014
Family members and victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks joined three members of Congress on Wednesday in calling on the Obama administration to declassify portions of a congressional investigation that addresses allegations of possible Saudi Arabian government support of the hijackers.

The report, released by a joint panel of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees in December 2002, contains 28 redacted pages that family members and victims say would shed new light on the hijackings. More.

Stolen Passports Show Post-9/11 Airline Security Flawed

March 11, 2014
The discovery that two passengers boarded the missing Malaysian jet using stolen passports reveals flaws in the screening of air travelers that persist more than 12 years after security worldwide was strengthened in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks.

More than 40 million passports are listed as missing on a database created by Interpol in 2002, yet the international police agency says planes were boarded more than a billion times last year without the travel documents being screened against the register. More.

Lockport resident honored with 9/11 teaching award

Kenny, a freshman religion teacher at Sacred Heart, was one of 10 educators from across the country to be honored last month during the seventh annual September 11th Teacher Awards located at the Center on Ground Zero at 120 Liberty St. in New York City. More.

Atheists want iconic 17-foot cross removed from 9/11 museum

March 9, 2014
Atheists are trying to oust the “Miracle Cross” from the 9/11 museum, arguing that its inclusion would violate the Constitution’s separation of church and state.

But Eric Baxster of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty told MyFoxNY that the cross is part of the story of 9/11 and that museums don’t censor history. More.

March 6, 2014
Newtown Permanent Memorial Commission Chairman Kyle Lyddy and members of the commission met Thursday evening, February 27, with Joe Daniels, president and CEO of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum and 9/11 Memorial Project Manager Abigail Mullins for what Mr Lyddy called a continuation of the information gathering process.

The Newtown Permanent Memorial Commission is charged with determining where in the community a permanent memorial to 12/14 might be located, as well as how to fund and maintain any memorial. More.

Public Schools May Be Required To Teach About 9/11

March 5, 2014
Florida public schools may soon be required to teach about the 9/11 terrorist attacks as part of their curriculum.

A bill filed in the House and Senate would make Florida teachers instruct students on the attacks and their impacts. At a House committee meeting Wednesday, Hialeah Rep. Manny Diaz (R-Hialeah) said the bill would educate students about the actual event, but otherwise it’s up to the teachers. More.

Scammers soiling the 9/11 hero image

February 27, 2014
You knew this was going to be bad when the reports of alleged disability fraud stemming from the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center began coming out in January. With 28 new indictments now filed, it appears there is a widespread effort by NYC public safety providers to defraud the government, resulting in potentially hundreds of millions of ill-gained payouts. It’s tragic.

There were many acts of heroism that day, and many selfless acts of honor and duty in the weeks and months after the attacks. Both civilians and public safety providers played vital roles in saving lives and offering comfort and compassion to both victims and survivors. More.

New Yorks 9/11 Museum to Open in May

February 26, 2014
New York’s 9/11 Memorial Museum has been delayed by funding rows, technical problems and even a flood but finally looks set to open this May.

The museum’s director, Alice Greenwald, spoke to delegates at Arts Council England’s No Boundaries conference in York and Bristol yesterday in a live feed from the US. More.

Ex-NYC fire commissioner recalls 9/11

February 25, 2014
It’s been more than a dozen years since the attack on the World Trade Center, but some questions seem to still be nagging the fire commissioner on duty that morning.

Former New York City Fire Commissioner Thomas Von Essen told an audience at the Ferguson Library on Tuesday night that officials believed it was the right decision at the time to send firefighters into the burning towers. He said they were dealing with jet planes, fuel and 102-story buildings with people trapped inside. More.

More arrests coming in 9/11 Social Security disability fraud case

February 25, 2014
Another 28 NYPD and FDNY pension cheaters – including two sons of the alleged ringleaders of the massive Social Security disability scheme – will be swept up Tuesday in the ongoing probe, sources told The New York Post.

The scammers, many of whom pretended to have suffered emotional trauma from 9/11, will be rounded up in the morning by investigators from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. More.

Why 9/11 can happen again

February 20, 2014
In February 2001, a bipartisan federal commission on which we served warned that terrorists would acquire weapons of mass destruction and mass disruption. “Attacks against American citizens on American soil, possibly causing heavy casualties, are likely over the next quarter-century,” the Hart-Rudman Commission said. “In the face of this threat, our nation has no coherent or integrated governmental structures.” We added: “Congress should rationalize its current committee structure so that it best serves U.S. national security objectives.”

We identified 50 ways to improve national security, none of which was implemented before 9/11. One recommendation – to create a single agency to deal with homeland security – was not acted on until a year and a half after those tragic attacks. More.

Saudi relative of 9/11 hijacker pleads guilty at Guantanamo Bay to war charges

February 20, 2014
The brother-in-law of a Sept. 11, 2001, hijacker pleaded guilty Thursday to war-crimes charges during an arraignment at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The military’s chief prosecutor said that Ahmed al-Darbi, 39, will be sentenced in about three and a half years.

As part of a plea deal, Darbi is likely to testify against another high-profile detainee at the facility, U.S. officials said. More.

First Nighter: Bikeman, Thomas F. Flynns Captivating 9/11 Memoir

February 18, 2014
It’s possible there’s an overriding rule about the extent of the reaction New Yorkers had to 9/11. Unless they knew someone killed in the Twin Towers collapse, the depth of their devastation may be in direct proportion to how close they were to ground zero.

Thomas F. Flynn was very close. His devastation was unfathomably profound. An Emmy-winning CBS news producer working then with Dan Rather, he lived so near the World Trade Center that when he saw the first low-flying plane heading that way and then crash into the north building, he grabbed a pen, a notebook, his phone and his bike and immediately headed south. More.

Tribeca PAC Presents BIKEMAN, A 9/11 PLAY

February 18, 2014
Marc Agger and William Brown proudly present Bikeman: A 9/11 Play by Thomas F. Flynn based on his acclaimed book. Flynn is an Emmy Award-winning CBS reporter who nearly lost his life when the Twin Towers fell. He lived to write about his odyssey in an epic narrative poem that soon became a best seller.

Dan Rather called it “a journey into a modern underworld, and of the escape that made it possible to tell the tale.” Now, this critically acclaimed book has been adapted for the stage directed by Michael Bush. Bikeman features Tony Award nominee Robert Cuccioli, Irungu Mutu, Angela Pierce, Elizabeth Ramos, and Richard Topol. Opening night is tomorrow, February 18 at 7PM. More.

Evasions and Secrecy at the 9/11 Museum

February 17, 2014
After I published my article “National Disgrace: 9/11 Museum to Charge $24 Admission” at Breibart last week, I sent a few follow-up questions to Museum officials. Anthony Guido, Communications Manager at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, sent me answers:

It has been reported that museum will feature large, and some have said borderline laudatory, profiles of Mohammed Atta and the other hijackers. Yet conspicuously absent is any discussion of their motivation. More.

September 11 Court Case Taking Years Before Trial

February 17, 2014
It has been six years since Khalid Sheik Mohammed and four other detainees at the detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, were first charged with murder for the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. Why is it taking so long to bring them to trial?

Justice is moving slowly for the five men charged in connection with the murder of nearly 3,000 people in the 9/11 attacks. More.

Therapy dog honored for 9/11 service

January 22, 2014
A disaster relief therapy dog that worked at the Pentagon after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, was honored Monday for its work to comfort those who were impacted by the disaster.

Sandra Greenman, handler of the therapy dog Shiva, held a memorial service at the Riverstone Animal Hospital in Canton for her late dog that served the victims and family members of those who were affected during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. More.

Gov. Cuomo gives 13 sons of FDNY firefighters a Brave future

January 20, 2014
The first bill signed by New York Gov. Cuomo in the new year was a dream come true for 13 young men whose shared life goal was to follow in their firefighter fathers’ footsteps.

With a swipe of his pen, Cuomo last week removed the last bureaucratic barrier of the “Legacy Law” that prevented the men from getting extra credit on the most current firefighter exam, owed to them because their dads died from 9/11-related illnesses. More.

9/11 pavers at Bayonne memorial to be torn out for $50 million cruise port project

January 20, 2014
Hundreds of memorial pavers that surround the Sept. 11 “teardrop” memorial on the Bayonne waterfront will be torn up as part of a $50 million makeover at the cruise port there, say a group of outraged residents who look after the memorial.

Frank Perrucci, chairman of the Sept. 11 Bayonne Remembers Committee, was stunned Friday when he found out about the construction plans. More.

Robert Cuccioli Will Star in Thomas F. Flynns Bikeman: The 9/11 Theatrical Experience in Tribeca

January 15, 2014
Marc Agger and William Brown will present Bikeman: The 9/11 Theatrical Experience, a new play by Thomas F. Flynn based on his book “Bikeman,” beginning Jan. 26, prior to an official opening Feb. 18, at the BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center.

NYC mayor wants feds to support Sept. 11 museum

January 15, 2014
The federal government should help support the World Trade Center’s Sept. 11 museum, which is set to open this spring after years of delays but could be facing budget shortfalls, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Wednesday.

Officials at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum plan to appeal to de Blasio to help subsidize its $60 million annual budget. The memorial foundation previously was rebuffed by Congress and by de Blasio’s predecessor, Michael Bloomberg. More.

Could data collection have stopped 9/11? White House thinks so

January 13, 2014
Many of President Obama’s closest advisors have embraced a controversial assessment of one of the National Security Agency’s major data collection programs – the belief that the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks could have been prevented had government then possessed the sort of vast trove of Americans’ telephone records it holds now.

Critics of the NSA program, and some scholars of America’s deadliest terrorist attack, strenuously dispute the view that the collection of phone data would necessarily have made a difference or that the possibility justifies the program now. The presidential task force that reviewed surveillance operations concluded last month that the program “was not essential” to preventing terrorist attacks. More.

Local 9/11 first responder reacts to fraud case

January 8, 2014

Jerry Sanford works for the North Naples Fire Department, but he spent 30 years as a New York City firefighter, and went back to New York following the September 11 attack.

Authorities announced today 106 people were indicted for lying to get social security disability benefits, many of those people retired first responders who claimed psychological issues from the September 11th attack. Sanford was disgusted. More.

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